Miumarie
by VitameatavegaminGirl
Summary: Everyone thought Rimkkha's princess was dead. Yogi, her country...she figured she was dead too. That is until she met Sha. Sha is her and she is Sha, but that isn't entirely correct. They are still different. And now, they are trying to survive in a world where no one cares.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is a new story I'll be working on in exchange for finishing up _Papa, Acchan, and Me_. It's a lot longer than I'm used to and I'm pretty sure I'll be just as terrible at updating it as I am with my other fanfics! XP**

 **Enjoy chapter one of _Miumarie_ : Monster**

* * *

-Rimhakka–Ten Years Before Gareki and Nai are Accepted into the Circus Family-

Picture a small girl, not much older than six. A beautiful little blonde child with lovely purple eyes who always used to smile as often as possible. She's running through a field of violet flowers with her arms spread as far out as she can reach. She's laughing happily and spinning around, not a care in the world.

In the next minute, her small body is smashed against the ground as a huge tornado whips around her. The little girl gasped, curling into a ball at the sudden impact, hacking and moaning in pain. She wasn't allowed any time to rest, though. Even before she got her breath back the tornado swooped her up into the air. She screamed and cried for her big brother to come save her. He had pinky promised to take care of her no matter what. She knew he would save her, she just hoped he wouldn't be too late.

The tornado spun her in the air for a while before once again hurling her towards the ground. The little girl whimpered and tried to brace herself for the oncoming impact. Except it never came. She was simply frozen mid-air. She could see the ground below her, the sky above her, and trees far off in the distance. The girl didn't know where she was but she thought that she couldn't have strayed that far from home. How far could a tornado possibly travel in just a few minutes, right?

Wrong.

What the little girl didn't know was that she was nowhere near Rimhakka anymore. In fact, at this point, she wasn't even on the same continent. The little girl hesitantly spoke, "U-um…is anyone there? Hello?"

 **Hello, child.**

The girl turned her head, trying to find the source of the booming voice, still reverberating in her ears. She searched and searched but she never saw anyone. "Wh-who are you? C-could you please tell me where I am? I'm scared and I want my brother."

The voice chuckled quietly and replied, **My name and your location do not need to be known at this point. You may call me whatever you like, but don't fret over where you are. It is not nearly as important and what is going to happen to you in a little bit.**

"What's gonna happen to me, Mr. Boom?"

 **…** **Mr….what?**

"Mr. Boom, because you've got a really loud voice that goes KABOOM when you talk." The girl giggled as she said this. It was quite obvious to her what the voice should be called.

 **Oh…** the voice didn't seem to particularly care for the name but he accepted it quickly and moved on, **Well child, in a little bit the Incure cells surrounding your body will be absorbed and you will go through, I'm afraid to say, a rather painful process. It is necessary, however, for you to go through this and reach your final evolutionary form! When this happens you shall be accepted into an elite group of people just like yourself. All of us have been chosen to lead this world to its final resting place while we, the new rulers of the universe, explore our powers and create a new, perfect world where everything is dictated by those with this unimaginable power!**

The little girl blinked at Mr. Boom's long, tiresome monologue. Everything he said went right over her head. She leaned to one side and tried to process some of the more complicated words. "What's an-curea-a mean?"

Exasperated, Mr. Boom sighed, **Don't worry, child. Soon, everything will make perfect sense. I guarantee it.** He chuckled evilly and left the girl to her own devices.

When she realized Mr. Boom wasn't going to explain any further, the girl crossed her arms and legs and decided to wait for this, 'painful process' to happen. She didn't really believe him, but she didn't have anything better to do so she just 'sat' there and looked around at her surroundings.

After about fifteen minutes (not very long to adults, but an eternity to children), she felt something weird. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were glowing brightly. As the glow got brighter, she flinched at the pain it brought. Her hands felt like they were on fire.

She cried a bit and tried to blow out the now very intense heat. All she did was make it worse. Within a few seconds, the burning pain had engulfed her small body as she screamed and flailed about. No burns appeared but she wanted to rip her skin off and jump in a lake, anything to get rid of the horrible sensation.

This lasted exactly ten minutes. When it was all over the little girl went limp, still suspended in the air. This was when Mr. Boom came back to check on her. **Are you still alive, child?** He didn't get a response so he materialized his actual body and floated over to her in order to check her vitals. She stayed limp and lifeless as he pressed two fingers to her neck, trying to find a pulse.

That was when she acted. Her eyes shot open and she crushed the man's throat with a single powerful strike. He gave a short gasp of astonishment as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he plummeted to the ground. The little girl was flying on her own now, glaring angrily at the broken body of 'Mr. Boom.'

"Yes," she spat, "I'm still alive." With that she took off in the direction of the nearest forest. As she flew, her long silver hair swirled and danced against her shoulders. She glanced back at it and thought, _I'm gonna have to get rid of that at some point. It's much too bothersome._ She looked ahead again and pulled up when she noticed she was nearing a town. She landed about a mile from it and walked the rest of the way. She got there relatively quickly and went up to the first person she came across. It happened to be a young man, so she forced out a sickly sweet smile and said, "Hey, mister? Do you think you could show me how to get to the train station? I'm supposed to be meeting my mommy and daddy, but I lost sight of Nana and I don't remember how to get there."

The young man chuckled and said, "I bet you were fooling around and didn't keep an eye out for her, huh?" She changed her expression to sheepishness and nodded slowly. The man smiled at her, "Well then, let's get you to the station so you can meet up with your parents. I'm actually headed there myself. Do you want me to walk you there?"

"Sure!" The girl took his proffered hand and skipped alongside him.

After a while, it became clear to her that the man had no intention of actually leading her to the station. When she realized this she dropped her façade. She kicked him just below the back of his knee and waited for him to drop. When he did, she quickly snapped his neck and moved on to see if she could find a map or something. People were out of the question at this point.

Eventually, she made her way to a small drugstore where she stole a small map of the surrounding area. She walked to the nearest tree and sat down in its shade to figure out where she was. She found out that she was actually in an area called Karasuna. It wasn't exactly the best kind of place but she figured she would be fine as long as she watched her back. The little girl sighed and jumped to her feet. _First things first,_ she thought as she crossed her arms, _I'd better find some place to crash for the night. Then I need to get things sorted out with_ her _. That'll probably take all night. Ugh…_ The little girl huffed with annoyance and went to find a place to stay.

It didn't take her long to find an abandoned building suitable for her needs. She searched out a small room that she could defend if necessary and settled in for the long conversation she owed _her._

The little girl closed her eyes and entered _her_ mindscape. She looked around. The whole place was black. Pitch black. She raised an eyebrow at it but kept from commenting. "Can you hear me?" she asked out loud, "If you can say something or just show yourself. I won't hurt you. I promise."

 _R-really?_

A small voice, similar to her own, responded to her in a quavering voice, _P-pinky promise you won't hurt me?_

"Pinky promise," the girl held out her hand, pinky extended. A few seconds later, an exact copy of her (but with blonde hair instead of silver) materialized and interlocked her own pinky with the one extended. The silver-haired girl smiled softly at the blonde child and pulled her into a gentle hug, "Feel better now? I know when I first came you were hurting a lot."

The blonde girl snuggled into her copy's hold and nodded, _I didn't know what was going on when you first came, but I feel okay now. I'm glad you're my friend!_

The silver-haired girl stroked the blonde's hair. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm glad we're friends too. Is there anything specific you'd like for me to call you?"

 _Hmm…well my full name is Miumarie. You can call me whatever you like though. My big brother used to call me Miu because he said I'm his little kitten! I love my big brother!_

The blonde Miumarie grinned up at her alter ego and the alter smiled back at her, "I see. Would you mind if I called you Mari then? I don't want to take over your brother's pet name for you. That wouldn't be very nice of me."

Miumarie nodded her head quickly. _Only big brother gets to call me Miu. Not even Mommy and Daddy call me that. Thank you for not trying to do so. Oh, and I really do like the name Mari! It sounds cute!_

"Good," the alter turned to the side and materialized a table, two chairs (just the right size for the two of them), and a tea set. She led Mari to the table and poured her a cup of steaming tea, "Now then, what would you like to call me? I don't have an actual name so you can make one up for me if you want."

Mari thought for a bit, _Well, how does Sha sound? It means copy or duplicate. I think it fits 'cause you look just like me!_

"Hmm…Sha, huh?" The alter finished pouring her own cup of tea and took a sip before continuing, "I like it! So you're Mari-chan and I'm Sha-chan?"

 _Yeah!_ Mari swung her legs underneath the table and looked around at their dark surroundings. _What happened to the lights_? She asked out of curiosity.

"This is your mindscape-"

 _My, what?_

"You didn't let me finish."

 _Oh, sorry. Go on…_

"Ahem, as I was saying, this is your mindscape, the place where all your thoughts converge. In simple terms it's where your soul lives." Sha took another sip of her tea, "If you focus on happy things your surroundings will change. Right now, you're scared and in pain. That's why this place is so dark. You're afraid. Try thinking about your brother. That'll probably calm you down a bit."

Mari tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. Slowly, the darkness around the two girls faded and a pretty scene, filled with flowers and butterflies, took its place. The scene didn't last very long though. Mari flinched and bright red blood splashed across everything and doused the two. Sha yelped at the sudden onslaught and yelled, "MARI-CHAN! CALM DOWN! FREAKING OUT WON'T DO ANY GOOD!" The deluge stopped just as suddenly as it came.

Mari blinked open her eyes. There were tears welling up in them and she cried, _I'm scared, Sha-chan!_

Sha stood up and stepped in front of her, "Mari-chan, look at me. Hey, come on, look at me. There's a good girl." Sha cupped the child's face in her hands and gazed into her eyes, a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, "Hush, now. Everything is all right. I know you're frightened, but everything is going to be okay. I need you to calm down for me, all right?"

Mari hiccupped a few times, but nodded obediently. _O-okay,_ she whispered softly.

"Good. Now I want you to picture that pretty scene again. Except this time, when you feel scared squeeze my hand. I'll make all the scary stuff go away."

Mari nodded and closed her eyes again. She pictured the flowers and butterflies. When they came, they brought the fear back with them. This time though, she listened to Sha and squeezed her alter's hands tightly. Sha felt the pressure and focused her energy on relaxing the scared girl in front of her. Since they were technically the same person at heart, Sha was able to calm Mari by simply calming herself. It worked great, because as soon as she did, Mari was able to keep the peaceful scene stable. She opened her eyes and grinned when she saw the pretty field. _I did it, Sha-chan!_

Sha giggled at hugged Mari, "Yes you did, Mari-chan. You did wonderfully. I'm proud of you!"

The two girls talked for a little while after that, mostly about what Mari had missed during Sha's escapade. Eventually, Mari began to yawn. It had been a long day and she was ready to get some actual rest. Sha agreed that sleep was the best course of action. She quickly summoned a big fluffy bed for Mari to rest on. The blonde stumbled into it after mumbling a quick, _Good night, Sha-chan…_

"Good night, Mari-chan," Sha gave the sleepy girl a pat on the head, "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to take care of yourself, okay?"

 _Mmm…kay…_ With that Mari drifted off into sleep.

Sha gave a short gasp as she sat up in the body she shared with Mari. She was still in the room in Karasuna, but night had fallen and the city was lit up with its lights and neon signs. The silver-haired alter climbed to her feet and looked out the broken window to the street below. She could see dirty children running about watched by various shady looking men and women. One boy she saw fall flat on his face. His two friends (one was his sister, the other possibly a brother?) ran up to him and squatted to see if he was all right. She heard the boy who hadn't fallen (he seemed to be the eldest of the three) say, "Come on, Yotaka. That was lame."

The fallen boy growled back at him, "Oh, shut up, Gareki! It's not like you've never fallen down while running."

"At least I don't fall flat on my face and make an idiot of myself in front of a bunch of people!"

"WHAT?!"

"Now, now you two. That's enough," the girl they were with put a hand on each of their shoulders, "We should be getting back to Big Sis."

The boy called Yotaka grumbled a bit, "You'd let him get away with murder, Tsubame."

"I would not," Tsubame huffed and smacked her brother on the head, "Come on! We gotta get back before she starts worrying!" She leapt to her feet and dashed off in a direction opposite where Sha was looking. The two boys followed close behind her, shooting each other grumpy glares. Sha chuckled at their childishness and began getting settled in for the night. If she wanted to get anywhere with Mari tomorrow she was going to have to let their body get as much rest as possible.

\- -ῒ- -

The next morning, Sha woke up around eight, eager to get a start on the day. The alter closed her eyes and went to wake up Mari. The young blonde was still sleeping quietly in the bed Sha had made up for her.

"Wakey, wakey, Mari-chan! Time to get up!" Sha swept the blankets off the bed and snapped her fingers to make it disappear. Mari hit the floor with a soft _thud_ and jolted awake.

 _Wha happen?_ She rubbed her eyes sleepily and gazed up at Sha, _Sha-chan? Mmm…good morning…_

"Good morning, Mari-chan!" Sha pulled the girl to her feet and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, "You ready to get started?"

 _Started with what?_ Mari yawned.

Sha began pacing back and forth in front of Mari, "Started with your training! I can't always be in control of your body–well, I suppose it's more ours, at this point–anyway, we need you to be able to handle yourself in any kind of situation. Also, I want to teach you how to use my powers to your advantage. Oh, and there's one more thing we need to talk about," she stopped pacing and turned to face Mari, "It's about how we will communicate while you're at the helm. There is one way that I'd be able to see what you see and talk to you whenever the need may arise. It'll hurt though, and you won't be able to undo it."

Mari stared up at her alter, _Wh-what happens?_

"Well," Sha crouched and rested her elbows on her knees, "I'll take over one of your eyes and be able to take control without needing your permission. I know it may seem like a one-sided deal but I wouldn't do something you didn't want me to unless it's absolutely necessary and you can always cover up my eye if you need privacy for something."

The blonde thought for a bit while Sha watched her expression. The alter may have been a part of Mari, but that didn't mean that she could read her mind or force her to make decisions in tune with what she wanted. They were totally separate entities, sharing appearance and (certain) memories only.

Eventually, Mari stood to her feet and helped Sha up too. The blonde gave her alter a confident smile and said, _Let's do it._

Sha grinned and gave her a hug, "Great!"

\- -ῒ- -

Fifteen minutes of screaming and flailing later, Mari was left panting on the floor of the old building in Karasuna, surrounded by a puddle of vomit and tears.

"Sha-chan, that hurt way worse than you said it would…" Mari stumbled to her feet and groaned as she stretched her aching muscles out. She shook out her long blonde hair and rubbed her eyes.

 _Yeah…sorry 'bout that!_ Sha's voice chuckled sheepishly from inside her head.

"Woah," Mari paused, trying to get used to the strange sensation of hearing your voice saying something you didn't think. "That's really weird, Sha."

Sha laughed, _Don't worry! You'll get used to it. All right,_ the alter clapped her hands and continued, _Before we start your training, why don't you find a mirror or something? That long hair has_ got _to go. It'll be a pain in the butt later._

Mari pouted a bit, "But I like my hair!"

 _Yeah, sure,_ Sha scoffed sarcastically, _And I like having hair yanked out of my head when it gets snagged on something during your first crash-landing._

Mari paled a bit and squeaked, "F-first?"

 _Yup. I was basically born knowing how to fly, you haven't even thought of the concept._

"O-oh," Mari swallowed. She was feeling less and less confident in her ability to do this as their conversation went on, "What should I do when I find the mirror?" The blonde silently accepted defeat and went to carry out Sha's orders.

Sha, being the sweet, kind, and oh-so- _not_ -sarcastic person she is, gave a snort and said, _What a good girl~! I'll explain what to do when you find it._

The girl walked all over the building but never found anything resembling a mirror. There wasn't even a piece of glass for her to prop up to use as a make shift one.

"What now, Sha?" She asked plopping herself down on a broken bit of concrete.

 _Mind if I take over for a bit?_

"Nope."

 _All right. This might sting a bit…._ In the girl's mindscape, Sha forcibly pulled Mari's conscious out of the console they used to control their body and sat down in the seat instead. Mari stumbled back into the mindscape with a breath. She looked around and recognized the scene from last night. The only difference was that now there was a huge screen type thing floating directly in front of the console. The perspective was that of her own eyesight if she had been in control. She could see Sha waving her hands as she manipulated a large puddle of water into a sheet of ice that could be used as a mirror. Then Sha pulled away from the controls and sat Mari back down in them. Mari gasped and coughed as she regained possession of her body. It was still very uncomfortable to go back and forth like that, but Sha had said that it would get easier the more often they did it.

Mari rubbed the back of her neck before straightening up and looking at herself in the mirror Sha had provided. She jumped away from it with a yelp. Never in all her life had she ever seen herself look so disheveled and dirty. Her hair was an absolute wreck. Frizz, broken strands, and tangles permeated throughout the whole of it. Not only that, the rest of her body was covered in bruises from her encounter with the tornado and her feet were bloody and caked in dirt from when Sha had walked the last mile into town. She touched her face, noticing a scar snaking its way across her cheek. What had really startled her though were her eyes. Originally, she had been blessed with beautiful violet irises flecked with bits of gold and blue. Now, her left pupil was jet black and its blood red iris only added to the horrifying effect. "What is this, Sha? What happened to my eye?"

 _That's what my eyes look like,_ Sha gently explained, _You know how you could see what I was doing when I was in control? Well, when you're in control I see the same thing, except from that eye instead of your violet one. When you agreed to allow me to bond with you, this is what happened. I told you there would be a physical change, didn't I?_

"Yes…" Mari was quiet for a bit. She stepped up close to the mirror and examined her reflection. She actually didn't mind the eye too much. If fact, she rather liked the way it contrasted with her original one. The only problem she had with it was that she felt it made her look evil or demented. Like one of the monsters in the fairy tales her big brother used to read to her. "Sha?" Mari asked slowly.

 _Yes, Mari-chan?_ The alter was a little worried at this point. If Mari refused to accept her newfound powers, Sha would have to erase the girl's memories of the past up to this point and would only be able to protect her in the most desperate of situations. Mari would be totally on her own if that happened and Sha knew that there was no way she could possibly survive that.

"Am I a monster?"

 _...Huh?_

"You heard me, am I a monster?"

 _No more than I am._

"But I don't know what you are. I know I used to be human. Am I still human? Or am I a monster?" Mari looked herself right in the eyes, knowing that Sha could see she was serious.

 _Well…you aren't entirely human. Not anymore. But I can guarantee that you aren't a monster. You still have all your morals and memories and you are in complete control of your thoughts and mind._

"That isn't what I mean. Even monsters know what they are doing when they kill people. I want to know if, technically speaking, I'm a monster. I understand that I'm in control. I can tell that myself. I just want to know if I went up to someone and they knew what happened to me, would they consider me a monster?" Mari had never had to think about something like this but she was beginning to find it easier to find the words to express her feelings and she didn't have such a hard time keeping herself together.

Sha was struck dumb. After about two minutes of dead silence, she cleared her throat and said, _W-well…um…_

Mari began to get frustrated, "Just tell me, Sha! I really want to know."

 _…_ _If you met someone who knew what I am and knew that you have already started the process of merging with me…uh…they would…they would probably consider you a monster. But it's because of me! You have to remember, it's me, not you. Just me._

Mari could feel Sha's frustration with herself for being something so undesirable. She smiled slightly, "Sha, you are me. If you're a monster, so am I. And I'm okay with that. You're my friend, and I wouldn't want someone to say that my friend is a monster without saying I'm one too. I just wanted to know what I should think of myself as, that's all. I wasn't questioning whether or not 'merging' with you is a good idea. We're in this together. You can't escape me and I can't escape you. So don't worry so much! You can always count on me, just like I can always count on you, right?"

Sha blinked away the moisture that had accumulated in her eyes, _Right_ , she sniffed and shook her head, trying to get rid of the depression she felt rising in her heart, _Thanks, Mari-chan. I promise I won't ever let you down._

Mari giggled happily and asked, "So, what should I use to cut my hair? I'm pretty sure there weren't any sharp objects in the rooms I just checked," she paused, examining a particularly nasty rat's nest. She groaned at it, muttering, "There's no way I'm ever gonna be able to brush this out."

Her alter laughed, _Yeah, that's definitely not gonna happen! Why don't we switch out again? I'll make a blade for you to u-_

"No," Mari cut her off firmly, "If I'm going to be learning to control this power, I need all the practice I can get."

 _If you say so,_ Sha was a little skeptical about letting the blonde use her elemental powers so early, but she decided to humor her retainer and walk her through the process, _Okay…so the easiest way to make something like the mirror, is to touch the materials you are planning to use. In this case, I think using metal will work best._ Sha examined what she could see in the mirror, _All right, see that long support beam behind you?_

Mari turned around and pointed at it, "That one?"

 _Yup. Go over and put both hands on it._ Sha watched as Mari did what she said and continued, _Now, close your eyes and picture what you want to make._ The alter's screen went dark and a picture of a pair of scissors appeared on it. Sha was impressed, it took an incredible imagination to see something in your mind's eye so clearly. _Great job, Mari-chan. Now I'm gonna put my hands on your back in here and give you a bit of my powers. It'll feel a little weird, but all you have to do is let the energy flow through you, into your hands, and onto the beam._

"Okay," Mari shuddered a bit when Sha's power blasted into her veins, but she relaxed her body and, as Sha said, let the energy flow through her. When she opened her eyes she was holding a pair of scissors exactly like the ones she had imagined. "I DID IT!" Mari screeched joyfully, "I DID IT! I DID IT, SHA! I DID IT!" She jumped up and down ecstatically.

Sha pumped her fists in the air and shouted, _YEAH! ATTA' GIRL! That was awesome, Mari-chan!_

Mari giggled and rushed back to the mirror. She held up the scissors to a tangle and cut it off. It took her a half hour to finish working her way through the snarled mess she called hair. When she was done, the back was just under her ears, she had bangs that drifted in front of her face, and she left one small section long to remind her of who she used to be. She figured she could braid it later if she found a piece of string or something.

"What do you think, Sha?" Mari turned her head side to side, keeping her eyes on the mirror so the alter could see.

 _You look great, Mari-chan!_ Sha was very vocal about her approval and continued to praise the cut as Mari walked out of the building in hopes of finding something to eat.

\- -ῒ- - Two Years Later - -ῒ- -

"HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Mari laughed happily as she flew away from the shop keeper chasing her. It had given her great pleasure to see the look on his face as he saw her leap into the air and take off. She had a bit of trouble getting the hang of flying at first but now she was just as good, if not better, than Sha at taking off, landing, and doing loopdy-loops in the air. She was eight now and her body was well and fully used to the hard and difficult life she had no choice but to lead. Her heart was also adapting to her new situations. It no longer bothered her that she needed to steal to get food. It no longer bothered her that she wasn't able to trust a single person she met. It no longer bothered her when men leered and tried to touch her on the streets (she usually just kicked them in the crotch and took off). It no longer bothered her to see the bodies of various thugs, slaves, and drunks lying in the street, usually beaten and half-naked. Nothing phased her anymore.

Not even killing. That was something she learned the hard way. There was one time a gang member got a hand around her neck and threatened to kill her if she didn't do exactly as he asked. At that point, she had enough street knowledge to realize that he meant to lock her up and sell her to those horrible slave traders. Mari gritted her teeth and let the instincts Sha drilled into her take over.

She jabbed her elbow into his solar plexus and slammed her foot into the ground, bringing up a pillar of earth underneath his feet. It knocked him to the ground and she would have left him there but before she could take off, he grabbed onto her ankle and snarled curse words at her. She desperately kicked at him, but he was relentless. During this time, Sha was shouting at her to slice his neck with some ice or bash his head in with a rock. Mari ignored the alter in favor of keeping her hands, and conscious, blood free. Eventually, he got a good grip on her thigh and pulled her back down to the ground. She screamed and reacted. She pulled herself into a ball and let a huge blast of her own red hot power burn the very skin off the man's body. He didn't even get a chance to scream before his eyes burst in their sockets and he took his last shuddering breath. The corpse collapsed onto the ground and Mari was released. She landed on the ground next to it.

The blonde fell to her knees, bile rising in her throat. She gagged and vomited all over the place. After she had heaved up the last bit of food from her previous meal, she wept for the man who almost killed her. Sha would have comforted her but figured it was better for the girl to deal with the pain on her own. No amount of words could ease the agony of a guilty conscious. All Sha could do was be there for her if the pain got to be too much.

It took a long time after that incident for the girl to even look at a dead body without dry heaving or running away. Finally, after many, many conversations with Sha, Mari accepted the fact that she lives in a dog eat dog world and she would never meet anyone that cared about her unconditionally. She and Sha were completely and totally alone.

When Mari realized this, her whole demeanor changed. She closed off her heart to anyone and everyone, except for Sha. They were an invincible duo and people from all over Karasuna feared the demon princess with one ruby red eye.

Mari landed about five feet from the small building she called home and stretched her arms above her head, toting the nice hunk of meat she had stolen in her satchel. When she stepped through the non-existent front door, she and Sha both instantly felt the presence of a stranger. Mari dropped to the floor as a stick-like object sliced the area where her head had been.

"My, my, aren't you a spry one," a sultry male voice purred in her ear, far too close for comfort.

She lashed out behind her, hitting nothing but thin air. Mari growled angrily and allowed Sha's and her own power to blast everything in the room to bits. She jumped to her feet and got into the fighting stance Sha had taught her a while back. The voice chuckled at her, "Resisting will only make things worse. If you just submit, I promise to make your death quick and painless."

Sha and Mari both laughed out loud (even though the man could only hear Mari) and Mari said, "You have no idea how many times I have heard that dumb line. And just in case you couldn't tell, I'm still very much alive and the morons that told me that are all at least six-feet under. Well, that or they're scattered in bits and pieces across town." Mari smirked to herself and Sha cracked up laughing. They'd had a great time hiding the various parts in surprising places and watching the mayhem caused when people found them.

The man stepped out from behind a pillar and raised an eyebrow at her. In turn, Mari also raised a brow. The man was far more handsome than she had expected. He had short purpley-black hair and blue eyes with lavender flecks.

"Is that so…" he blinked slowly and murmured, "Tell me, little one…how many innocent people have you murdered?"

The blonde scoffed, "Innocent? Absolutely none. Idiots that tried to mess with me? Hmm…I'd say about twenty-five. Maybe more. I'm not entirely sure," Mari put a finger on her chin and tilted her head to the side, "Anyway, what's your name? I'm Mari."

The man tipped his tall top hat and smiled at her, "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that. I'm happy to know your name though, Mari-chan."

"Only Sha gets to call me that!" Mari snarled and leapt at the man, creating a rugged sword out of scrap metal. She roared, swinging down on the man. In retaliation, he blocked her strike with his cane. The two clashed for a long time before Mari knocked the man into a wall and watched him fall unconscious to the floor.

 _That was easier than I thought it would be,_ Sha muttered as she crossed her arms and leaned against their console in the mindscape.

"Yeah," Mari walked over to the man and knelt next to him. She rooted around in his pockets and found a wallet and cellphone. She flipped through the wallet, helping herself to the twenty-seven dollars he had, then she slipped out the driver's license he had in one of the flaps. Apparently, his name was Hirato, he was nineteen years old, had blood type AB, and he was six feet one inch tall.

After sliding the license back into the wallet and tossing it onto Hirato's chest, she turned on the phone and started flicking through the various apps and programs he had on it. She was just about to start looking at his photos when the phone started ringing. The caller ID said Tsukitachi.

"Think I should answer?" Mari questioned her alter as she stared at the unfamiliar name.

 _Why not? It may be fun to see how they react when they realize you aren't this big lug._

Mari laughed and pressed the button that read, 'Accept Call.'

 _"_ _What's up with the long wait time, pal? You busy or something?"_ The man on the other end of the line sounded like he was about to burst into laughter whenever he talked.

Mari smirked and said replied in her sweetest kiddy voice, "I'm sorry, mister! If you're talkin' 'bout Mr. Hirato, he can't come to the phone right now."

 _"_ _Huh? Who the heck are you?"_ Mari imagined that Tsukitachi's expression had morphed into one of confusion. _"And why can't Hirato come to the phone? Where is he?"_

The blonde bit back another laugh and replied, "Mr. Hirato's talking with Mama. He looked pretty surprised when he came to see her but I answered the door," Mari paused as her head filled with the sound of Sha's uncontrollable cackling, "I don't think Mama had told him about me, so I was a big surprise!"

Mari heard Tsukitachi sputter and choke on his own spit, _"C-come again?! What's your name?! Who are you?! Give the phone to Hirato, RIGHT NOW!"_ He sounded pretty upset so the blonde quickly hung up on him.

 _Whew!_ Sha breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to the ground, _That was awesome, Mari-chan! How on earth did you come up with such a genius idea?_

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Mari shrugged, tucking the phone back into Hirato's pocket. "It sure was fun though. How much you wanna bet that Tsukitachi will come flying to interrogate this guy?"

 _Haha!_ Sha laughed happily, _I have no doubt about it! So, ya wanna slice and dice 'im? It'd be kinda fun if he was some big shot. I'm sure a whole bunch of people would kick up quite a stink if they found out he got owned by an eight-year-old._

Mari giggled and replied, "It would be funny, wouldn't it?" She flicked the man's nose, "I don't think we should, though."

 _Huh? Why not?_

"Mmm…well…I don't really know," the blonde gently brushed a few dark locks out of Hirato's face, "I just think he might be a good person. He seemed to really believe that I was killing innocent people," Mari paused, stood, and walked over to the wall next to the unconscious man before sliding down it to sit by him, "I'd be mad too if I found out some kid I didn't know was murdering people who didn't appear to have anything to do with her. And besides," she leaned her head back against the wall and smiled, "He's pretty cute, don't you think?"

Sha grunted and muttered, _Humph…I guess you have a point…_

"Which point? I mentioned a few."

 _…_ _All of them…_

"Even the one about him being cute?"

 _That one especially!_ Sha's reply came a tad bit too quick.

Mari giggled at her friend's words, "Hilarious, Sha…"

The two talked for a while longer while Hirato slept. Eventually, Mari and Sha heard a difference in Hirato's breathing. Even though he kept his eyes closed, they could tell he was awake. The blonde bounced to her feet and stood over the man. She grinned happily and said, "I know you're awake, Mr. Hirato. There's no use hiding it. Your breathing destabilized about five minutes ago."

Hirato frowned and opened his eyes, "How could you possibly know something like that?"

Mari sat down on his chest, "I've got pretty good eyes and ears."

"I see," Hirato tried to sit up only to have Mari shove him back to the ground.

"Sorry, but unless you're gonna promise me you won't try to attack me again, I'm not letting you up."

The man sighed, "Fine. But will you let me call my friend and let him know I'm all right?"

"Uh…is your friend's name, Tsukitachi?" Mari began studying a particularly interesting piece of drywall.

"…Yes…why do you ask?" Hirato raised an eyebrow.

The girl snickered and replied, "Well…he called while you were in lala-land. I answered and kinda gave him the idea that you were visiting a girlfriend and found out that you had suddenly become a father…"

Hirato shot into a sitting position, knocking Mari to the floor, "YOU DID WHAT?!"

"Heh! Sorry~!" Mari laughed gleefully from her new position on the ground.

The man blinked at her enthusiasm. He would have frowned at her under different circumstances but that was when she started giggling. She giggled and giggled and rolled on the ground laughing her head off. He had no idea why she was laughing so hard but apparently it was contagious because in the next minute he was also chuckling. They laughed at each other for a very long time and only stopped when they heard a phone ring.

Hirato pulled out his cell, still snickering quietly, and answered it, "He-hello?"

 _"_ _Hirato? Is that you? THANK GOODNESS! Where are you? What happened? Who was the little girl who answered earlier? What woman were you talking to? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE A DAD!"_ Even Mari heard the last line, Tsukitachi screeched at the top of his voice. This brought out even more peals of laughter from the little girl.

Hirato also laughed at his friend's consternation, "Calm down, Tsuki. I'm still in Karasuna. I'll explain the rest when I get back, all right?"

Tsukitachi whimpered, _"Fiiiine! Just tell me one thing, are you gonna be saddled with some brat you didn't intend to father?"_

Hirato was silent for a minute. He glanced across at Mari. She was sitting cross legged on the ground, looking up at him in anticipation. She hoped he would say something to make Tsukitachi go nuts again. He smiled at her and rubbed her head, letting her swat playfully at it in return. "No. But I might end up bringing home another stray."

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

"Like I said, I'll explain when I get back. See you soon. Bye."

 _"_ _Haah…"_ Tsukitachi sighed loudly, _"See you when you get back. Later."_ They both hung up and Hirato went back to messing with Mari.

"Mari-chan?" He asked after a short, yet quite comfortable, silence.

"Only Sha gets to call me that," Mari crossed her arms, putting on a pouty face, "Didn't I tell you that, already?"

"I suppose you did. Well then, Mari, can I ask you a question?" Hirato poked her cheek and smirked at her.

"You just did," she quipped, "But I suppose I don't mind you asking another."

Hirato chuckled and continued, "Thank you. All right, here is my real question. Would you like to use your powers for the good of the human race?"

Mari stared at him. She silently opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally stuttering out a short, stupid sounding, "H-huh?"

"Would you like to use your powers for the good of the human race? It's obvious that you haven't had very many pleasant experiences with people, but if you accept my offer," Hirato tugged gently on her braid, "I can guarantee that you will never again have to steal food or fight for a place to sleep or live in fear of your life day in and day out. You will eventually have to fight, but you'll have actual training and you will always have backup just in case something goes wrong."

When Mari continued to stay silent, he said, "I know this may be a little overwhelming for you, but I think coming with me would be a good decision."

The blonde took a short breath and mumbled, "What should I do, Sha?"

Hirato would have attempted to answer her himself, but he was smart and got the feeling she wasn't exactly talking to him.

While Mari and Sha (who Hirato still couldn't determine the location of) quietly discussed the pros and cons of Hirato's deal, the man stood to his feet and, for the first time since he broke in, got a good look at Mari's hideout.

It was actually a building that had been abandoned before it could be completed so there were still many various construction tools and materials lying about unattended for who knows how long. When Hirato walked around one corner he discovered an area that Mari must have used as a kitchen/dining room. There was one upturned box sitting next to a taller one (possibly used as a table?) and he could see a small kerosene stove nestled firmly between two large bricks. One the wall opposite the stove, he saw a short slab of metal that had a twisted kind of handle. He pulled on it and the sheet of steel it was attached to, pulled open as a door. He looked inside and saw a gallon of water, a small glass jar of milk, and a block of cheese.

"Hey," Mari shut the improvised fridge and looked up at Hirato, "I have an answer."

"I see," Hirato straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. He nodded, ready to hear her reply.

The blonde took a deep calming breath and said, "I don't know if what I can do will actually be good for the human race. But I _do_ know that I'm sick and tired of living like this," she gestured to her run-down surroundings, "If, and only if, you really can promise me all the things you mentioned, I'll come with you," she frowned slightly as she looked at the ground, "I don't want to be controlled by anyone. I won't allow that. However," Mari gave a short huff, returning her attention to the tall man, "I don't _entirely_ mind if you offer me possible _suggestions_ as to how I might be able to assist you. However, keep in mind that I will rebel in the most terrifying way if anyone besides you attempts to do the same."

Hirato smiled and laughed, "All right then, child," he held out a hand to her, "Come with me, my dear, and I shall steal you away from this place."

Mari giggled and took his outstretched hand. He pulled her closer and lifted her into his arms. When he had gotten her settled, he walked out of the building, took a short running leap, and soared into the air.

\- -ῒ- -

* * *

 **So, I hope you liked this chapter and if you did, please leave a review. If you didn't like it, please leave a review telling me what I can do to fix what you didn't like, and have a nice rest of your day! :)**

 **Love ya'll! :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! It's been a long time since I've updated any of my stories but today is kind of special so I'll be updating all of them (well** _ **most**_ **is a more accurate word to use) at once! XD**

 **Please enjoy chapter 2: Reunited**

* * *

"GYAAAAAAA!" A young red-haired man screamed at the sight of our adorable little blonde Mari-chan. "YOU REALLY DID HAVE A LOVE CHILD WITH SOME LADY! HIRATO, I THOUGHT YOU WERE MORE RESPONSIBLE THAN THAT!"

Mari figured this person was the infamous Tsukitachi, Hirato had been telling her about on the way over. The dark-haired man had brought her to a rather odd looking airship which he called, "Circus's First Ship." When they entered through the bottom of the strange ship, the noisy red-head was pacing back and forth as he waited for them. The minute he laid eyes on Mari, nestled so comfortably in Hirato's arms, he launched into a panicked tirade directed at his friend.

As he was panting and awaiting an answer from Hirato, Mari giggled evilly and chirped in her sweetest voice, "Don't talk mean to Mr. Hirato! Since Mama can't afford to feed Mari any longer, Mama asked Mr. Hirato to take care of Mari," the mischievous young blonde purred her next words, "Mr. Hirato is very kind to Mari and he seemed to really love Mama. Mr. Hirato is wonderful~!" She chuckled and leaned her head against the man supporting her (who was, at this point, desperately attempting to hold in his raucous laughter).

Tsukitachi gaped at her, "H-h-h-h-h…" he tried his best to pronounce Hirato's name but he just couldn't get past the first syllable.

Finally, the two conniving mischief-makers burst into uncontrollable laughter. Hirato spoke through his chuckles, "D-don't be f-fooled by this c-clever little child, Tsuki. She's just t-toying with your mind. Pay no attention to her wild story. She is in no way my daughter," he set Mari down and reached to pat his disconsolate friend on the arm, "I picked her up while I was in Karasuna on my most recent mission. She impressed me and I thought it would be better for her to be on our side rather than have her as an enemy."

"Mm," Mari touched her chin and smirked cruelly at the two much taller men, "Quite so, my friends. I'm not exactly inclined to go easy on opponents."

The red head shivered at her words. He was beginning to realize that the adorable girl in front of her was waaaay more dangerous than she appeared. Tsukitachi gulped and stuttered, "O-oh…um…well then, what's your name, sweetie?" He bent at the waist, hands resting on his knees, and gave her a petrified grin that came out looking more like a grimace.

Mari raised an eyebrow and snorted, taking a few slow steps toward him. She shot out a hand and grabbed the front of his shirt. Her eyes burned with an angry fire as she said, "My name, you idiotic moron, is Mari. At least that's what you," she jabbed one of her unoccupied fingers into his chest, "may call me. My full name is unnecessary for you to be graced with at this time." She shoved him away and glared at him, a Sha-inspired sneer breaking across her face.

Tsukitachi yelped and skittered to duck behind Hirato, who was (once again) laughing his head off. "Hirato!" The red head whimpered and clung to his friend, "Why did you bring such a terrifying…thing on my ship?"

"I'm here because I kicked Hirato's butt when he tried to kill me," Mari growled as she crossed her arms and gave a saucy shake of her shoulders, "Also, I'm not a thing. I'm a girl. A bit of an odd girl, but a girl nevertheless."

"U-um? Mr. Tsukitachi?" The blonde froze as a voice, hauntingly familiar, came from behind her.

Tsukitachi looked up at the sound of his name from over Hirato's quivering shoulder (he was still chuckling happily), "Hm? Oh, what is it, Yogi?"

Mari's whole body jolted at the name Tsukitachi uttered. Hirato noticed and glanced at her in curiosity. She had clamped a firm hand over her mouth and desperately tried to stay quiet. A few seconds later, she had composed herself enough to turn around and look at the source of her anxiety.

A boy, of about thirteen years, was standing in the middle of the ship's wide hall. He had golden blonde hair that glimmered in the dim lighting and was wearing a light red long-sleeve shirt that went past his finger-tips with dark blue jeans and socks. Even though Mari couldn't see the actual color of the boy's eyes, she knew by instinct that they were a most beautiful violet hue. She bit down hard on her lip as the boy hesitantly said, "Um…well, I-I heard you scream and I…um…I was worried. A-are you okay?"

Tsukitachi chuckled sheepishly and came out from behind his friend. He strode past Mari (making sure to give her a wide berth) before bending down in front of the blonde boy and rubbing his head as he replied, "I'm fine, Yogi. Thank you for worrying about me. Oh!" He straightened, crossed his arms proudly, and continued, "Yogi, since Hirato is back, why don't you tell him about the trick you figured out this afternoon?"

The boy's frightened face broke into a big grin, "Ah! Okay! Um…Mr. Hirato?" He glanced around the tall red head and blinked excitedly at the man still standing behind Mari (whom he hadn't actually noticed yet).

Hirato didn't answer him at first. He was fixated on the blonde girl. Something about her sudden change in demeanor set off a bunch of alarms in his head. He stepped toward her and put a very, very gentle hand on her shoulder, he had no reason to frighten her further. Even with his cautious approach, she still jumped and whipped around at lightening speeds to glare at him. The girl's pupils were dilated and she didn't seem to be breathing properly as Hirato stared at her. She looked, for all intents and purposes, like a wild animal about to go on a rampage. The man gave her a kind smile and knelt in front of her. "Hey now…" he murmured softly as he took the girl's trembling hands, "What's wrong, sweetheart?" When she did nothing but continue to stare him down, he went on, "Mari? Can you hear me? Mari," Hirato cupped her face in his large, slightly calloused hands, "Mari, if you can hear me, nod."

Mari inhaled slow and shuddering before nodding obediently. Hirato ran his fingers through her short hair and let their foreheads bump together. He waited for her to relax a little and start breathing normally again. When she did, he whispered quietly, "Good girl. Take one more deep breath," he did it with her and went on, "And relax…"

Once Mari had regained control of herself, she stepped away from the tall man and crossed her arms. She kept her eyes trained on the floor and stayed silent while Hirato apologized to Yogi and asked about the boy's new trick.

Yogi skipped excitedly in place and responded, "Mr. Tsukitachi had to give me a few pointers," he looked at the red-head, "but I finally figured out how to fly a little! Watch!" He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. A bit later, he raised himself about five inches off the floor.

Hirato laughed happily, patting Yogi's head as he did so, "Well done, Yogi! I'm very impressed! I bet soon you'll be able to fly back to the Second Ship on your own," he clasped his hands behind his back and nodded affirmatively.

The boy yipped, jumping to hug Hirato around the neck (he was a little better at flying than either of the Circus captains gave him credit for). While looking over the captain's shoulder, Yogi (finally) noticed Mari. She had her eyes closed and was frowning slightly. The boy blinked, letting himself fall to the floor. He hit the ground and walked over to where Mari was standing. He bent down in front of her, observing her face without disturbing her.

In Mari's mindscape, she was freaking out. She had pulled away from her console (Sha had taught her how to force her body to stay standing even when not being controlled) and was screaming at the top of her mental lungs. The beautiful field of flowers she usually kept in place shattered into a million pieces and darkness rushed through the cracks. Sha hovered above the ground, watching her retainer break down. She was ready to pick up whatever pieces were left over. This had happened a few times before so Sha was getting very good at patching the blonde back together.

When the darkness had just about consumed Mari, Sha let herself float slowly down so that she hovered directly in front of her alter. The blonde gasped and shuddered with grief. She glared up at Sha, screaming, "WHAT'S GOING ON, SHA?! My brother is supposed to be dead! How is he here now?!"

Sha stared at her for a bit. Only once Mari had shot to her feet and grabbed Sha by the neck, pulling the alter down to her own level to growl at her angrily, did Sha answer her, "That isn't your brother."

Mari released the alter, frowning in confusion, "Of course he is. Who else could he be?"

"If that was your brother, he would remember you. He doesn't, so he isn't your brother."

"Memories don't define relationships, Sha," Mari snapped, "I know you sometimes have a little trouble thinking like a human, but I am one and I know for a fact that the person out there is my brother!"

Sha smiled at the blonde, "If your brother was injured in an accident and ended up losing both of his arms, legs, and eyes, would you still think of him as your brother?"

"Of course!"

"What if his whole body died but, by some miracle, scientists were able to transport his brain into a different body? Would he still be your brother?"

"W-well, yes."

"So, you would consider him your brother no matter what he looked like as long as he remembered you, correct?" Mari frowned and gave a quick nod so Sha went on, "Then what if his body lived but his memories died? Would he still be your brother?"

Mari was silent. She knew Sha was right but didn't want to admit it. A few minutes later she huffed out, "I-I guess not…"

"In that case, there is no reason for you to be so upset about him. He obviously doesn't remember you and you've always thought of him as dead. To you, he still should be. That person is just…" Sha searched for the right word, "Ah yes…that person is just your brother's doppelganger. And he happens to share the same name," the alter brushed a strand of Mari's hair out of her eyes, "I know it'll be a little hard to get used to at first, but all you have to remember is that he isn't your brother. No matter how he may act or how he may speak, he is not, and never will be, your precious big brother."

As Mari blinked back tears, she nodded again and said, "K', Sha…thanks." She closed her eyes and unclenched her fists. When she had relaxed completely (the way Sha had taught her to a while ago), she breathed out as the darkness flooding her mindscape retreated and the field re-structured itself. She huffed irritably and stalked back to her body's console. The screen above it was dark (since both of their eyes were closed at the moment), but it lit up when Mari sat down at the controls again.

When Yogi saw the blonde girl's body twitch and heard her give a quiet gasp, he raised his eyebrows, leaning even further forward with anticipation. His wide, violet eyes met Mari's mismatched ones with curiosity on his part.

Mari leapt back, instantly on alert. The boy laughed sheepishly and tried to calm her down, "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wondering if you were all right. You looked a little upset." He smiled kindly, laughing once again. After a bit, Yogi tilted his head and looked expectantly at her. All Mari did was raise an eyebrow at him and stay quiet.

Yogi sighed as if dealing with a stubborn child before saying, "Will you tell me your name? I'm Yogi!" He squatted in front of her and wrapped his arms around his knees, lighting up the room with a grin that would melt butter.

The girl felt her chained up heart tighten and writhe in pain. She blinked once and let her instincts speak for her, "What are you, some kind of over-grown baby? Stand up and act your age, stupid."

Yogi started, his grin (and consequentially the pain in her chest) fading, "Huh?"

"So you're deaf, too? Great," she bent at the waist and exaggerated her words, "I. Said. Stand. Up. Stupid."

The boy sprang to his feet, quivering slightly. "S-sorry!" He bowed a few times, his hands fluttering like worried birds, "I'm sorry! Um…I'd still like to know your name…" he poked both of his index fingers together as he stared at them, red-faced from being scolded.

Mari scoffed, "And I'd like to know how to make quadruple chocolate chip cookies. So?"

"Quadruple chocolate chip cookies?" Yogi perked up, "You like those?"

"Your point being?"

"I could teach you how to make them if you want. I love those cookies!" Yogi grinned again, slowly rocking back and forth on his heels.

"…I was being sarcastic," Mari stared at the taller blonde and went on, "I don't really care about making them." She face-palmed and sighed. After glaring at Yogi for a while, she crossed her arms and muttered, "I had no idea anyone could be so dense…just call me Mari, all right?"

"Mari?" Yogi smiled and said her name a few more times, "Mari! Mari, Mari, Ma-"

"Enough! Yes, my name is Mari. Stop repeating it!" She shook her hands at him in exasperation.

Hirato chuckled and stepped between them, "All right you two, I think it's time for both of you to get some rest. Yogi, will you show Mari to one of the guest rooms? I'm sure Mr. Tsukitachi and I will be talking well into the night so the three of us can leave in the morning."

Yogi saluted, sleeve dangling in front of his face as he stood with his knees together like a little girl, and chirped, "Okaaaay! See you in the morning, Mr. Hirato, Mr. Tsukitachi! Don't stay up too late~!" He grabbed one of Mari's hands (much to her surprise) and dragged her away, waving back to the older men happily.

\- -ῒ- -

As Yogi pulled Mari down the hall, he kept babbling happily about random nonsense. For the most part, Mari ignored him in favor of memorizing where they were heading just in case she needed to escape. At one point, however, he began asking questions about her, "So, Mari-chan…where are you from? Do you have any family? Mr. Tsukitachi told me that usually people join Circus because the people who run the program give lots and lots of money to their families. He told me that there's even been instances where members are forced to train with Circus just for the money compensation," he looked back at Mari and slowed to a walk, "Is that what happened to you, Mari-chan?" His eyebrows scrunched together in worry and his eyes filled with tears of pity.

Mari grunted quietly before responding, "No, Yogi. My family had nothing to do with me coming here. And don't call me Mari-chan. Only Sha gets to call me that," she pried the blonde's fingers off her wrist and rubbed it, trying to get some feeling back into it, "Oh, and just so you know, it isn't ' _money_ compensation,' it's ' _monetary_ compensation.'"

Yogi sighed with relief and wrapped his arms around her (totally ignoring her correction), "Thank goodness! I think that selling your own child for money is just terrible. I'm so glad you didn't have to go through that. Thank goodness…" Mari wriggled her way out of his grip, hopping back a few feet so she was just out of reach.

"Don't ever do that again." She growled at him, eyes flashing dangerously. Feeling arms so similar to her brother's hold her so gently broke her heart. In her mind-scape, Sha was watching their exchange with frustration. She could tell by the tremors that shook the ground beneath her feet that Mari was still having a horrible time working through her pain. The alter decided to do something about it. She quickly walked over to the console and placed her hands on Mari's shoulders. Sha slowly, but firmly, massaged the tension out of her retainer.

Out in the real world, Mari could feel Sha's calming presence working its way throughout her body. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Yogi (again) noticed and stepped closer to her, in order to see if she was all right. The blonde was ready for him, though, and quickly jumped back a second time, "Oh no you don't. I do _not_ like having my personal space invaded. Back off."

Yogi blinked at her. Then he gave a small giggle and leaned back. "I'm sorry, Mari-ch-"

"How many times do I have to say it?" Mari interrupted, "Don't call me that. It's just Mari."

"Oh, right…sorry~!" Yogi poked a finger into his cheek, acting cutesy again. He clasped his hands behind his back and motioned with his head at the door next to them, "This is Jiki-kun's room. He's asleep now, but you can see him in the morning," Yogi looked a little sick as he said this, "I should probably warn you know though. Um…you see Jiki-kun is kinda scary. And mean…really, really mean. He's just a boy, but he doesn't seem to like anyone and is always griping at somebody," the blonde paused, a shiver jolting his whole body, "I'd recommend staying away from him. Just to make sure…" He stopped and Mari could tell that whoever this Jiki kid was he must have seriously traumatized the poor blonde, because he looked ready to puke.

Mari glanced at the door keeping in the terrifying Jiki. She suddenly resolved to do whatever it took to get on his bad side and give him a good whipping. She crossed her arms and nodded her head affirmatively.

In his bed, Jiki shot into a sitting position, his whole body shaking for apparently no reason at all. Little did he know that he would finally meet his match. And trust me, he really needed to do so. For everyone's sake (especially Yogi's), he needed to do so.

Yogi didn't like how Mari was glaring at the door so he, once again, grabbed her wrist and dragged her to a different door a few halls down. "This one," he pushed on the handle to open it, "Is my room. At least, it's the one I use on this ship. My real room is on the Second Ship. I'll show you that one when we get back tomorrow." The room was cleaner than Mari had expected, but she didn't get a very good look, because in the next moment Yogi was dragging her to the door right next to his. "This one is yours Mari-ch…uh…Mari. It should have everything, a bath with soap and towels and stuff, a bed with blankets and pillows, there's even a little bookshelf with a few of the classics on it!" Yogi giggled happily as he keyed Tsukitachi's name into the lock screen placed next to the handle, "Oh, and you won't have to do this every time you go into the room. It's just the first time a room is used it has to be unlocked. Here ya go!" He flung the door open and led Mari inside.

The room was identical to Yogi's in every way except hers was perfectly crisped, clean, and ready for a guest. There was a bed in one corner, a dresser in another and one of the walls was in fact a huge window to the outside world. Mari quickly pulled her wrist out of Yogi's hand and dashed over to the window. The ship was currently flying over a town lighting up the night sky. Mari had never seen anything so beautiful. Her mouth went a little slack, "Wow…" she murmured quietly, "It looks like a field of fireflies."

Yogi came up behind her, smiling at her awe, "It does doesn't it? I'm not a fan of heights, but this always amazes me." He leaned against a ledge and watched her continue to stare at the town. His hands were in his lap but, for reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted to hug the little girl again. Something about her expression reminded him of something he felt like he needed to remember but couldn't. He frowned a little and tried to recall what he needed to remember. Nothing came to him though, and eventually the ship passed over the town, leaving it to be a small speck of light in the distance.

Mari sighed with disappointment. She had enjoyed watching the town. It reminded her of the many times she had flown over Karasuna. Oh how she wished to be flying on her own alongside the ship. To feel the cold night air rush past her and swirl in her wake was a feeling she had never been able to describe. She took one more glance at the quickly fading speck before returning her attention to Yogi. It startled her to see him still frowning in concentration. She carefully placed the tips of her fingers on his arm and asked hesitantly, "Um…Yogi? Are you okay?"

The boy started out of his daze, unconsciously yanking his arm away from her touch. He blinked at her a few times trying to re-register her identity in his mind. After a bit his tense expression relaxed and he grinned sweetly at her, "Sorry~! I blanked out for a bit there. Did you say something?"

"…No," Mari pulled her arm back and gazed at him vacantly, "I didn't."

"Oh…funny I could have sworn I heard something..." he trailed off, glancing out the window into the darkness. He was spacing out again so Mari just decided to ignore him in favor of exploring the room a bit more.

She walked over to the bed and pushed on it with her palm. It was very soft and she wanted nothing more than to jump on it go to sleep, but she decided to hold off until she could take a shower and wash her tattered clothes. After forcing herself to step away from the bed, she walked into the bathroom hall. There was a door on one side leading to a water closet and another door leading to the bath on the opposite side. At the end of the hall there was a vanity mirror with a sink and counter below it. Mari walked back into the main room and was surprised to see a small bunny rabbit putting a few different outfits into the large dresser sitting across from the bed. The bunny looked up at her and said, "Welcome, meep. Mr. Hirato picked these clothes out for you, meep. He hopes they fit you and said to tell you that if they don't you can exchange them for something else in the morning, meep. Is this satisfactory, meep?"

Mari smiled at the bunny and gave a polite bow, "Yes. Thank you very much. Have a nice night."

The bunny also bowed and replied, "You do the same, meep. Sleep well, meep." It finished putting the clothes away and rushed out to get another chore done. Mari walked over to the wardrobe and pulled open the doors to see what Hirato had picked out for her. There were four daytime outfits hanging up and two sets of pajamas lying in one of the smaller drawers attached to the wardrobe floor. Standing on top of the small drawers, there were a pair of knee high combat boots that looked like they would fit Mari perfectly.

She grabbed one of the pajama shorts and a tank top (she wasn't one to match voluntarily) and went to go properly wash off two years' worth of grime. She had bathed in streams before but hardly ever with soap and never ever with hot water. Mari was so excited.

Before she went in, however, she needed to take care of her still spaced-out visitor. She went over to Yogi and shook his shoulder, waking him from his stupor. "Thanks for showing me to my room, Yogi," she gave him a small smile, "You look pretty tired. Why don't you go back to your room and get some rest, okay? Unless you'd rather wait here while I take a bath…"

"H-huh? A bath? Oh! I-I should leave. S-sorry!" Yogi leapt to his feet and dashed out the door bowing the whole way. As he ran out he yelped quickly, "G-goodnightMariseeyouinthemorningifyouneedanythingI'm-rightnexttoyouNIGHT!"

Mari laughed happily at his antics. It amused her to know end to see him so flustered. She continued to chuckle as she walked back into the bathroom hall and undressed to take a nice long bath. After getting out she put her pajamas on and went to bed. For a long time, she stared at the ceiling, contemplating all that had happened that day. She sighed quietly after a bit and closed her eyes. There was no use in her losing sleep over something she could stress about in the morning. With that thought, she rolled onto her side and curled around one of the softest pillows she had ever felt.

\- -ῒ- -

The next morning Mari woke up at four like usual. At first she didn't know where she was and panicked a little. Then she remembered the events from the day before. She let out a breath of relief as she rolled out of bed to get ready for the day. She stumbled over to her wardrobe, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and looked at the various outfits.

The first of the four was a white camisole with a sheer, purple, long sleeve shirt that would hang off her shoulders when she had it on. For the bottom half of the outfit, she saw black ripped tights with red plaid shorts and a black belt with a big silver buckle. The second outfit had a tight black and white striped long sleeve shirt for the top with a pair of light blue overalls rolled up to make shorts. The third outfit was a pair of high-rise jean shorts that had two columns of buttons up the front, a white tank top, and suspenders to complete the look. The last outfit was a simple red tank top with dark skinny jeans. All of the outfits would work perfectly with the combat boots and Mari was having a difficult time picking out which one she liked the most.

Eventually, she decided to wear the second outfit's striped shirt, the third outfit's high-rise jean shorts and suspenders, and the first outfit's ripped tights. Lastly she pulled the boots on and examined herself in the mirror. She liked the look so she quickly ran her fingers through her hair, re-braided the long part of it and walked out her door. In the hall, she glanced at Yogi's door and contemplated waking him up. She didn't though when Sha mentioned that she could explore more freely without an escort.

The first room she went into was actually a maintenance closet, so that was pretty anticlimactic. The next one she came to was way more interesting. It was the ship's library. Never in her life had Mari seen so many books. Not even her father's library in Rimhakka had this many books.

She didn't get any further than that. Two hours later, Tsukitachi and Hirato found her surrounded by tall stacks of books. She hadn't read anything in ages and couldn't help but devour everything she saw.

"Mari? What are you doing up so early?" Hirato walked over to her little cave of books, patting her on the head when he got close enough to touch her.

"Mm…I always wake up early. I was gonna do some exploring, but then I found this place and got caught up reading…" she never looked up from her book, but unconsciously leaned against Hirato's hand instead.

Hirato chuckled, "I see. Well, why don't you put the book down just for a little bit and come eat breakfast? Yogi and Jiki should be awake by now too," he gently pushed her head back so she was looking at him, "I think it would be best if you were introduced to Jiki without a weapon in hand."

Mari frowned, "Books aren't weapons. Words maybe, but not books."

"Trust me, when it comes to dealing with Jiki, anything that can be thrown is a suitable weapon," Tsukitachi laughed and crossed his arms, a sheepish expression on his face, "He may be my first lieutenant, but he's a most troublesome handful."

"That's putting it gently, Tsuki," Hirato helped Mari to her feet before smacking his friend's arm, "A more apt description would be that he is a demon in training. I'm terrified to see what he'll be like as an adult…" the dark-haired man shivered, gripping Mari's shoulder a little tighter.

The blonde was beginning to wonder just how terrible this Jiki person was. If he could frighten Yogi, Tsukitachi, _and_ Hirato, he must be really something. She couldn't wait to meet him.

Mari set her book down on one of the stacks and chirped, "A demon, huh? I've had my fair share of encounters with people of that particular race, so he shouldn't surprise me too much. Let's go!" She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels, grinning happily.

Hirato and Tsukitachi stared at her in amazement for a bit before bursting into laughter. "Y-you certainly picked an interesting stray to adopt, Hirato!" Tsukitachi chortled, "I can't wait to see this!"

With that, the two captains escorted their young friend to the dining hall. Yogi and a charcoal haired boy, who looked to be just a little older than Mari, were waiting for them when they arrived. The boy, Mari figured he was the infamous Jiki, was sitting ramrod straight in one of the chairs while Yogi was half-asleep, resting his head on the table. Jiki smirked as they came in and said, "My, my! You two certainly are late. Where have you been? Trying to drink each other under the table again?"

Tsukitachi chuckled awkwardly, "Of course not, Jiki-kun. We're still too young to do that, remember?"

"Ha! Like I'd believe that," Jiki scoffed and kicked Yogi's shin, making him jolt awake, "Wake up, Yogi. This isn't your bedroom. Plus, Hirato and Tsukitachi are here."

"H-huh?" Yogi rubbed his eyes and glanced at the dining room door, "Oh…good morning, Mr. Hirato, Mr. Tsukitachi, Mari-chan," he gave the blonde girl a sleepy smile and motioned her over, "Come sit by me, Mari-chan."

Mari sighed in exasperation. She was never going to get him to stop using the -chan so she just decided to live with it, "Good morning, Yogi," she stepped over to him and plopped herself in the seat next to him. _It won't hurt to humor him every once in a while…_ she thought with a small smile. Sha happened to hear that particular thought and snorted to herself. She muttered quietly to herself, so Mari couldn't hear her, _You have no idea how much damage a simple little thing like this can do, Mari-chan. I know you don't understand this yet, but you will. I can promise you that._

Anyway, Mari continued to sit next to Yogi throughout the meal and every time Jiki sent a loaded comment or insult at either of them, she reflected it expertly. This continued on until at one point Jiki said, "My goodness, Yogi. Could you be any more of a child?" The blonde boy had simply asked for the syrup, so Mari came to his rescue.

"Well it's not as if you're any less of one, Mr. I-Can-Only-Eat-French-Toast-With-Powdered-Sugar. You should be grateful to have something to eat in the first place, you little brat. You shouldn't make someone go out of their way to accommodate your personal whims. If you want powdered sugar, get off your lazy butt and get some for yourself." Mari slowly blinked at Jiki as she said this, her gaze calm and cool.

"I beg your pardon?" Jiki raised an eyebrow at her in astonishment.

Mari snickered, "Oh come now…surely you heard me. I said it loud enough."

"I heard you all right," Jiki narrowed his eyes, "My problem is why you decided to say such a thing?"

"Well, it's only natural, don't you think? You insult someone, you get insulted back," she pointed her fork in his direction, "Most people call it karma, sweetie."

"Is that so. Why doesn't Yogi to this 'karma' thing then? There's no need for you to get involved. You're simply an outsider," the boy rose out of his chair with a huff, "And to be perfectly honest, I don't even know why I am still continuing a conversation with a lower life form. I'm far too good for this…" he turned his face away from Mari and pretended to not see her, "It would be redundant to even try to speak normally with you. So, now I'm going to the library. Tsukitachi, if you need me you can find me there." Jiki threw down his napkin and stalked away.

At least he would have if Mari hadn't spoke again, "I had no idea Circus members were so quick to run away, Hirato. Is it something you teach them, or do they just pick it up along the way?"

Jiki halted at the door, frame twitching with well restrained fury. Hirato, on the other hand, bit back a laugh and tried to keep his voice even as he replied, "Actually, we try to teach them to confront their enemies. There are times when it is better to make a tactical retreat, but that is more of a desperation move than something we encourage."

"I see. So would Jiki-kun's retreat just now be a good move? Or does it make him seem like a chicken?" Mari smirked behind loaded fork, "In my personal experience, backing out of anything equates to being a wuss. I suppose it must be different for rich babies who have lived on the lap of luxury their whole lives."

The charcoal-haired boy whipped around and flew a few feet to land right behind Mari. He raised his arm, whip in hand, and brought it down, intent on inflicting a proper punishment on the insolent blonde. Unfortunately for him, Mari was expecting exactly that. She pushed herself out of her seat and flipped onto the table. As Jiki's whip crashed into her empty chair, she spun her body around on her arms a kicked him full-on in the face. She waited for him to hit the ground and pounced on top of him.

"Looks like all you needed to explode was a tiny bit of prodding, hm? Interesting, interesting…" Mari trailed a finger along Jiki's jawline before grabbing his chin. She leaned her face closer to his, so close they were almost touching, and purred, "You might want to fix that, Jiki-kun. It isn't very good to be so volatile. People are easier to take advantage of when their upset. Remember that," Mari pushed off the floor and got to her feet. As she sashayed back to her broken chair, she glanced at Yogi. He was staring wide eyed at her in amazement.

Mari smiled softly at him. She kicked a few pieces of wood out of the way and knelt at his feet, looking up at him with an unreadable expression, "Are you scared of me yet, Yogi? I have a feeling Jiki-kun is…" she chuckled quietly and closed her eyes, tilting her head to the side.

Yogi watched her silently for a minute. Then he said, "I could never be scared of you, Mari-chan. You were protecting me just now, right?" He smiled at her and let their foreheads bump together, "Thank you, Mari-chan." Mari opened her eyes in astonishment. She couldn't remember the last time anyone besides Sha had thanked her.

She would have said something in return, but didn't get the chance because one of the bunnies dashed in and meeped, "Mr. Hirato, I apologize for the inconvenience but Ms. Eva just called, meep. She was worried about you, meep. She wanted to know if you were coming back soon, meep."

"Oops!" Hirato got to his feet, looking slightly less than petrified, "I forgot to call and tell her I'd be back this morning. She's gonna kill me…" He sighed and rubbed his face with a hand, "Well, I'm sorry to cut our visit short, but we should get going. Yogi, Mari, go get your things from your rooms and meet me at the entrance, okay?"

"Okaaaay~!" Yogi grinned and leapt to go do as Hirato said, pulling Mari with him, as usual.

"Hang on a sec, Yogi," Mari yanked her wrist out of the teen's grip and turned to Hirato, "Nothing in my room belongs to me. Shouldn't I just go to the entrance with you?"

Hirato raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean, Mari? The bunny did bring you some clothes, didn't it?"

"Yes, it brought them. But they aren't mine."

The captain laughed, "Yes they are, dear. I picked them out just for you. They're yours now. You may use them as you like," he walked around the table and patted her head, "Yogi should have an extra bag in his room, so put what you want to keep in it and you can take it with you back to my ship, okay?"

Mari nodded, dumbfounded by the act of generosity. She allowed Yogi to lead her back to his room and waited silently while he chattered and searched for the extra bag. Eventually, he popped out of a wall closet holding a medium sized brown satchel.

"Here ya go, Mari-chan!" Yogi giggled and held the bag out to the blonde.

She took it with a tiny smile, murmuring, "Thank you." She then turned and walked to her own room, thoughts swirling madly in her head. Mari slowly put her outfits and pajamas in the bag before heading back to Yogi's door. He was still busy shoving various odds and ends into a huge suitcase. At first he didn't notice her, so she was content with quietly watching him.

After a bit, Yogi looked up and saw her, "Ah! Mari-chan! I didn't see you there," he straightened, walking up to her, "Are you all packed?" When she nodded, Yogi said, "Great! I'm almost done, too. Will you wait for me to be done so we can head over to Hirato together?"

"Sure," Mari nodded slightly, "I don't know if I'd know how to get there on my own." That was a bit of a lie. She knew exactly where to go, but she didn't really feel like disappointing him after he had been so nice to her.

"Yaay!" Yogi cheered and went back to work, shoving things into his bag, "You know, Mari-chan," he said after a short, yet comfortable, silence, "I've been wondering this for a while now, but how old are you?"

Mari leaned against the door jam and said, "I'm eight. I think. I might be nine, but I don't really know."

Yogi glanced back at her, "Why wouldn't you be sure?"

"Because dates and times aren't important when you live each day like it's your last," she examined her nails, "I haven't looked at a clock or calendar for at least a year."

"Oh…" Yogi zipped up his bag and threw it over his shoulder, walking past Mari and into the hall, "When's your birthday then?"

Mari pushed off the wall, taking a few quick leaps to catch up to Yogi's long stride, "It's…uh…Sha, do you remember?"

In their mindscape, Sha looked up from her book (since Mari had read all those books they were now stored in her mind and Sha could access them whenever she wanted) and thought for a bit, _Um…it was sometime in May or June, right? I have no idea about the exact day. Sorry…_

"It's all right. Thanks anyway," Mari looked up at Yogi, "It's in May or June. I don't remember the exact date."

Yogi stared down at her with surprise, "Wait a minute, who were you talking to?"

"Myself," she gave him a sweet little grin, "It's how I think of things. Sorry if I startled you."

"Oh, I see! Haha! I do that a lot too!" Yogi easily swallowed the lie and went on, "So you're a spring baby. That's right after me! My birthday is February 11th. It passed by about three months ago."

"So it's May now?"

"Yup!" Yogi gave a small skip, "Hey! Why don't you make today your birthday? You're starting a new life with Circus, it should be celebrated!" They had reached the ship's exit/entrance while they were talking and Hirato happened to overhear Yogi's last few sentences.

"That sounds like a great idea, Yogi. Mari, do you have any objections?" The circus captain clapped his hands once and looked at her expectantly.

"I guess not. But," Mari tilted her head to the side, "Why do you care? Birthdays aren't really that important. It's just you getting older, right?" She lifted a shoulder, face full of confusion.

Yogi grabbed Mari's hand with his free one, "Birthdays are a time when your family gets together to celebrate your life and the days that are ahead of you. They're very important! Right, Mr. Hirato?"

"Quite right, Yogi," Hirato smiled down at the two of them, "When we get back to the first ship, Mari, we'll have a party, not only welcoming you into the Circus family but also for your…um…"

"Ninth!" Yogi piped up helpfully.

"Ah! Also in celebration of your ninth birthday," he knelt, looking Mari in the eyes, "How does that sound, my dear?"

She blinked at him a few times before swallowing thickly and saying, "I…th-think…um…" Mari slowly, but firmly, twisted her hand out of Yogi's grip and took a short step away from Hirato, "This…um…well, everything really, is a little too much…right now. I-I'd rather just get used to…uh…being here…first. I'm not…um…I'd rather…er…well…" she trailed off hesitantly.

Hirato chuckled, "Don't worry, little one. I understand," he gently ran a hand through her hair, "You aren't used to this kind of thing are you?" Mari frowned slightly and shook her head, 'no.' The dark-haired captain got to his feet and lifted Yogi into his arms, shifting him so that he was mostly resting on one him, "That's all right, you'll have plenty of time to adapt to your new surroundings. Hopefully, you will be with us for a long time. So don't worry, everything will be fine. Come here," he held out the arm not supporting Yogi and waited for her to take his hand.

While she sort of did as he expected, she surprised him by tilting her head to the side and allowing herself to float up until she was a few feet above his head. She smiled sweetly, saying, "Thanks for the offer, Hirato. But I can fly quite well on my own."

Hirato gave a small jolt as he stared up at her. Yogi, on the other hand, was quite delighted to see that Mari could fly so easily, "Wow, Mari-chan! You can fly? Awesome~! Can you give me some tips? I'm still learning, and I could use all the help I can get!"

Mari stayed quiet, opting instead to continue watching Hirato's expressions switch between confusion and astonishment. He couldn't quite wrap his brain around a few different facts. The first was that he had carried her the whole way from Karasuna to this ship even though she was obviously capable of doing so herself. The second was that he hadn't immediately realized she could fly, considering he knew she had some kind of varuga abilities. The third was that she hadn't told him and had allowed him to _carry_ her for multiple hours back to the first ship.

A few minutes later, Mari smirked and said, "Have you sorted out your thoughts yet, Hirato? You looked pretty shocked for a bit there."

"Eh? A-ah," Hirato blinked away his disbelief, stuttering out, "Y-yes, I was rather…startled, but I'm fine now. So you can fly then. Well, that will make things much easier," he closed his fingers around Mari's small, calloused hand and led her to the exit, "Shall we go then, my dear?"

"Okay, Hirato," Mari followed her captain as he leapt through the glowing doorway and into the bright, blue, morning sky.

* * *

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